Acceptance and commitment therapy: An example of third-wave therapy as a treatment for Australian Vietnam War veterans with PTSD

Williams, L. M. (2006). Acceptance and commitment therapy: An example of third-wave therapy as a treatment for Australian Vietnam War veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: Unpublished dissertation, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, New South Wales.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) was applied as an outpatient group treatment programme for Australian Vietnam War veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). To better understand the processes of ACT, 16 veterans were divided into two therapy groups. One group received all phases of ACT (ACTFULL) and one group received ACT without the ‘discovering the self’ phase (ACTDIS). Following treatment, both groups showed a reduction in scores for PTSD, psychiatric and non-psychiatric symptoms, conscious suppression of disturbing thoughts and an increase in scores for mindfulness skills. The expected outcome that the ACTFULL group would demonstrate greater levels of symptom reduction and a greater increase in mindfulness skills than the ACTDIS group was only supported on one outcome measure. A three-month follow-up was conducted and most changes were maintained. Clinical implications and suggestions for future studies are discussed.